Well-casing spear.



S. VROMAN.

WELL CASING SPEAR.

APPLICATION FILED 0013.4, 1913.

1,091,100. I Patented Mar.24,191 1 2 8HBETS-SHEBT 1.

WITNESSES.- llVl/E/VTOR Q W mid annan.

. W Byk flny/ A TTOR/VE Y s. VROMA N.

WELL CASING APPLICATION FILED SPEAR.

v 913. 1,091,10(). Patented Mar. 24, 1914 I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 ,.5&9.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SMITH VROMAN, or sen FRANCISCO, ClALIFORNIA, assienon To SAMUEL ALLEN GUIBERSON, an, or SAN rnancrsoo, CALIFORNIA.

WELL-CASING SPEAR.

Application filed October 4, 1913.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914;. Serial No. 793,366.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SMITH VROMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ell-Casing Spears, of which the following is a specification. 1

My invention relates to that class of wellcasing spears in which an annular series of gripper-slips are fitted to tapered seats on a stock, whereby in running down in the casing said series of slips contract in circumference sufficiently to pass down freely, but expand in circumference on the lifting movement, so that the slips grip the casing.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective spear of this class, and to this end my invention consists in the novel well-casing spear which I shall hereinafter fully describe by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of my well-cas ing spear. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, enlarged, the lower portion being broken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical section enlarged, the upper portion being broken away. Fig. l is a cross section on YY of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross section on ZZ of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of one of the gripper-slips,

Fig. 7 is a cross section on X-X of Fig. 1.

1 is a stock with a central bore 2 opening upward from its foot nearly to its head. In the bore of the stock is slidably fitted the mandrel 3. The stock is formed in its body portion 4 with tapered gripper-slip-seats 5, the taper of which is upward, that is, said seats deepen from bottom to top. There may be any number of these seats symmetrically disposed about the circumference of the body portion, though, in practice, I have found three to be best, in that this number gives uniform gripping effect upon the easing consistent with strength in the stock. To each of the seats 5 is fitted a gripper-slip 6, the connection being best a dovetail one as indicated by the groove 7 in the seat, and the tongue 8 on the back of the slip. The relation of seats and slips is such that when the slips rise on their seats to their upper limits they lie flush with and continue the circumference of the body portion of the stock, but when and as they move downward they project beyond said circumference,

- after the manner of slips of this nature in this type of casing-spears. The slips 6 are what may be termed free slips, in that they move freely on their seats, and their outer facesare suitably formed for gripping, as, for example, by the teeth 9.

About the upper portion of the stock is fitted slidably the loose head ring 10 which 1s formed on its upper face with an annular recess-l1. A cross-key 12 lies in the recess 11 and said key traverses and is freely slidable up and down in an elongated keyslot 13 formed in the StOCk:-* The key 12 is fitted throughthe mandrel 3. Around the stock 1, between the lower face of the head ring 10 and the top of the body portion 4 of the stock is a spring 14.

Freely slidable upon the lower portion of the stock below the slip seats 5 is the loose foot ring 15, the lower face of which is formed with an annular recess 16. In this recess hes a cross-key 17 which has free play in an elongated key-slot 18 in the stock, and said key 17- is fitted through the mandrel 3. Upon the lower end of the stock is the foot nut 19,

20 is a handled setting tool to be screwed into the lower end of the mandrel, and 21 is a handled setting nut threaded on the setting tool 20, and adapted to bear against the foot of the stock,

Fitted in the upper part of the body portion 4 of the stock on one side is a setting trigger and trip, and on the other side is a safety catch. The setting trigger and trip comprises, as shown in Fig. 3, a trigger-pin 22 slidably seated in the stock and normally held back by a spring 23. The inner end of the pin, when said pin is pushed in by hand, is adapted to engage a notch 24 in the mandrel 3. A socket plug 25 closes the pin in its seat in the stock. The safety catch, as shown in Fig. 3, comprises a latch 26 seated in the stock and held in to its engagement with a notch27 in the mandrel, by a springs 28, held under tension by a socket plug 29.

The operation of the device is as follows: To set it ready for use the socket plug 29 of the safety catch is removed so that the safety latch 26 may be drawn back to free the mandrel. Then the setting tool 20 is screwed into the lower end of the mandrel and the setting nut 21 is turned against the foot of the stock with the effect of drawing down the mandrel a distance suflicient to bring the notch 24 of said mandrel opposite the end of the trigger-pin 22. The socket lug 25 of the trigger and trip device having first been removed to expose the head of the trigger-pin 22, said pin is pushed in to cause its end to lie in the mandrel notch 24, and it is there temporarily held by the operator against the force of its spring 23, until the setting tool 20 is removed. hen this is done, the large spring 14 which had been compressed by the drawing down of the mandrel, acting through the cross key 12 and the loose headring 10, will hold the trigger-pin 22 in place. In this setting of the spear, it will be seen that the downward movement of the mandrel carries down the crosskey 17 thereby allowing the loose foot ring 15 to drop down, so that now the gripper-slips 6 are perfectly free to slide on their seats. 7 The socket plugs 25 and 29 are now replaced, and the spear is'ready to run in the casing. The slips being free will readily move up to their position of circumferential contraction as the spear runs down the casing, and during this running in, the particular advantage of the loose foot ring 15 appears, in that the spear in running in a hole full of liquid, as is almost always the case, the pressure of the liquid against this loose ring nearly filling the cross sectional area of the casing causes it to rise against the bottoms of the slips and to positively force them up, thereby clearing the casing while the spear is going down the hole. This prevents both the dulling of the slips and injury to the casing. This feature is important, for, in my opinion, many of the failures of spears to take hold of the casing have been caused by the slips becoming dulled by rubbing the casing while going down. Whenthe point is reached for the spear to engage the casing, its descent is stopped and the reverse or lifting movement begins. Immediately the loose foot ring 15 drops back to its cross-key 17 and the slips drop down also, thereby expanding their circumference until they come in contact with the casing. Continued upward movement makes this contact more forceful and they then bite the casing with increasing intensity, as they continue to move down. In this final con tinued though slight movement, they force down the loose foot ring 15, and this through the cross key 17 forces down the mandrel sufficiently to release the pressure of the mandrel notch 24 on the trigger pin 22, whereupon said pin, under the normal retractive force of its spring 23, will withdraw and thereby trip the mandrel. Thereupon the large spring 14 acting through the head ring 10 and upper cross key 12 will move the mandrel up with relation to the stock sufficiently topermit the reengagement of the safety-latch 26 with the notch 27, and thereafter the spear can not re-set itself While heing pulled out, but must be brought to the surface to be re-set.

The slips being free and capable of independent gripping, each can adjust itself to inequalities in the casing and bite as opportunity afii'o-rds, which cannot be the case where the slips are operated by a positive connection with the mandrel, for in such case, they must operate in unison. The seating of the mandrel cross keys in the annular recesses in the loose rings is a strong and efficient construction and gives the necessary connection of parts without interfering with their independence. Another advantage, particularly noticeable in connection with the upper ring and upper cross-key is that the recess in said ring forms a cup to confine the key, so that it cannot slip out; nor in case of the key breaking or chipping can the fragments drop down and do damage.

I claim 1. In a well-casing spear, the combination of a stock having a body portion with upwardly tapered seats, a central bore, and elongated slots traversing said bore above and below the body portion; a mandrel longitudinally slidable in the bore of the stock: an upper and a lower cross-key carried by said mandrel, said keys projecting through and playing in the elongated slots of said stock; a loose head-ring slidably fitted around the stock and arranged to bear up under the upper cross key; a spring around the stock between its body portion and the loose head-ring to hold the ring to the. key; a loose foot ring slidably fitted around the stock below its tapered seats and arranged to bear down upon the lower cross key; gripper slips slidably fitted to the tapered seats of the stock above the loose footring; and a trigger carried by the stock, said trigger engaging the mandrel to hold it down when set, and adapted to trip the mandrel to release it when the slips engage the casing in lifting.

2. In a well-casing spear, the combination of a stock having a body portion with upwardly taperediseats, a central bore, and elongated slots traversing said bore above and below the body portion; a mandrel longitudinally slidable in the bore of the stock; an upper and a lower cross-key carried by said mandrel, said keys projecting through and playing in the elongated slots of said stock; a loose head-ring slidably fitted around the stock and arranged to bear up under the upper cross key; a spring around the stock between its body portion and the loose headring to hold the ring to the key; a loose foot ring slidably fitted around the stock below its tapered seats and arranged to bear down upon the lower cross key; gripper slips slidably fitted to the tapered seats of the stock above the loose foot-rin a trigb1 ger carried by the stock, said trigger engag- LIP ing the mandrel to hold it down when set, and adapted to trip the mandrel to release it when the slips engage the casing in lifting, and a safety-latch carried by the stock, said latch engaging the mandrel to lock it against resetting movement when tripped by the trigger.

3; In a well-casing spear, the combination of a stock having a body portion with tapered seats, a central bore, and elongated slots traversing said bore above and below the body portion; a mandrel longitudinally slidable in the bore of the stock; a loose head-ring slidably fitted around the stock above the body portion, said ring having in its upper face an annular recess; a loose foot-ring slidably fitted around the stock below its body portion, said ring having in its lower face an annular recess; an upper cross key fitted in the mandrel, said key playing in the upper slots of the stock and lying in the recess of the head-ring; a lower cross-key fitted in the mandrel, saidkey playing in the lower slots of the stock and lying in the recess of the foot-ring; a spring around the stock between its body portion and the loose head ring to hold said ring to its cross key; gripper slips slidably fitted to the tapered seats of the stock above the loose foot-ring; and a trigger carried by the stock, said trigger engaging the mandrel to hold it down when set, and adapted to trip the mandrel to release it when the slips engage the casing in lifting.

4. In a well-casing spear, the combination of a stock having a body portion with tapered seats, a central bore, and elongated slots traversing said bore above and below the body portion; a mandrel longitudinally slidable in the bore of the stock; a loose head-ring slidably fitted around the stock above the body portion, said ring having in its upper face an annular recess; a loose foot-ring slidably fitted around the stock below its body portion, said ring having in its lower face an annular recess, an upper cross key fitted in the mandrel, said key playing in the upper slots of the stock and lying in the recess of the head-ring; a lower cross-key fitted in the mandrel, said key playing in the lower slots of the stock and lying in the recess of the foot-ring; a spring around the stock between its body portion and the loose head ring to hold said ring to its cross key; gripper slips slidably fitted to the tapered seats of the stock above the loose foot-ring; a trigger carried by the stock, said trigger engaging the mandrel to hold it down when set, and adapted to trip the mandrel to release it when the slips engage the casing in lifting, and a safety latch carried by the stock, said latch engaging the mandrel to lock it against resetting movement when tripped by the trigger.

5. In a well-casing spear, the combination of a stock having a body portion with upwardly tapered seats, a central bore, and elongated slots traversing said bore above and below the body portion; a mandrel longitudinally slidable in the bore of the stock; an upper and a lower cross-key carried by f said mandrel, said keys projecting through and playing in the elongated slots of said stock; a loose head-ring slidably fitted around the stock and arranged to bear up under the upper cross-key; a spring around the stock between its body portion and the loose head-ring to hold the ring to the key; a loose foot-ring slidably fitted around the stock below its tapered seats and arranged to bear down upon the cross-key; gripper slips slidably fitted to the tapered seats of the stock above the loose foot-ring; means adapted to engage the lower end of the mandrel to pull said mandrel down to set it; and a trigger device carried by the stock to hold the mandrel down when set and to trip it when the slips engage the casing in lifting.

6. In a well-casing spear, the combination of a stock having a body portion with upwardly tapered seats, a central bore, and elongated slots traversing said bore above and below the body portion; a mandrel longitudinally slidable in the bore of the stock; an upper and a lower cross-key carried by said mandrel, said keys projecting through and playing in the elongated slots of said stock; a loose head-ring slidably fitted around the stock and arranged to bear up under the upper cross-key; a spring around the stock between its body portion and the loose head-ring to hold the ring to the key; a loose foot-ring slidably fitted around the stock below its tapered seats and arranged to bear down upon the crosskey; gripper slips slidably fitted to the tapered seats of v the stock above the loose foot-ring; means adapted to engage the lower end of the mandrel to pull said mandrel down to set it; a trigger device carried by the stock to hold the mandrel down when set and to trip it when the slips engage the casing in lifting, and a safety latch carried by the stock to lock the mandrel against resetting movement when tripped.

7. In a well-casing spear, the combination of a stock; gripping devices carried thereby arranged to move into and out of engage ment with the casing wall; and a member carried by the stock, adapted upon the running in of the spear, to be actuated by the fluid in the casing to hold the gripping devices out of engagement with the casing wall, and to relieve said gripping devices when the spear is lifted.

8. Ina well-casing spear, the combination of a stock; gripping devices carried thereby arranged to move into and out of engagement with the casing wall; and a ring freely slidable on the stock and adapted upon the running in of the spear to be forced by the fluid in the casing against the gripping devices to hold them out of engagement with the casing wall, and to relieve said gripping devices when the spear is lifted.

9. In a well-casing spear, the combination of a stock provided with tapered seats; gripper-slips slidably fitted to said seats; and amember carried by the stock below and independent of the gripper-slips and adapted upon the running in of the spear, to be pressed up by the fluid in the casing against the slips to lift and hold them in their contracted position clear of the casing wall, and to drop down to free them when the spear is lifted.

10. In a well-casing spear, the combination of a stock provided with tapered seats;

gripper-slips slidably fitted to said seats;

SMITH VROMAN.

Witnesses:

WM. F. BOOTH, D. B. RICHARDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner oi Patents. Washington, D. C. 

